White Pine WWTP - Secondary Treatment Plant in White Pine, Tennessee

White Pine WWTP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located in White Pine, Jefferson County, Tennessee. The plant serves a population of approximately 1,331 residents, classifying it as a small-scale treatment facility under U.S. EPA guidelines. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required by the Clean Water Act for most municipal wastewater plants in the United States. With a designed capacity of 1,472.52 thousand gallons per day and an average discharge volume of 681.37 thousand gallons per day, the plant operates well within its capacity. The facility is regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, administered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The treated effluent from White Pine WWTP is discharged into local waterways that ultimately drain into the Tennessee River basin. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in the region, supporting downstream aquatic ecosystems and recreational uses of the river system.

The plant discharges into the Tennessee River watershed, which flows through the southeastern United States and eventually joins the Ohio River and Mississippi River before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The local streams and rivers in Jefferson County support diverse aquatic life, including fish and macroinvertebrates, and provide habitat for migratory birds. The plant's secondary treatment helps reduce nutrient and organic pollutant loads, protecting downstream water quality in the ecologically sensitive Tennessee River system.